Community Conversation draws 65 people

Submitted by editor on Thu, 11/09/2017 - 9:38am

Dr. Dave Dvorak addresses a crowd of 65 people at the Sunday, Nov. 5, Community Conversation about healthcare at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New Prague. The evening event was sponsored by New Prague Community Action Network. (Patrick Fisher Photo)

New Prague Community Action Network’s first Community Conversation on healthcare drew a crowd of 65 people the evening of Sunday, Nov. 5, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. The main speaker, Dr. Dave Dvorak, addressed how there needs to be changes to the healthcare system.

He noted the United States has been trying to figure out a way where all its citizens have healthcare. Over the years this has resulted in a number of "alphabet soup" programs for the various acronyms. There has been a rise in healthcare spending over time. He said of some of the health insurance programs, "One of the sick ironies is that the people who most needed healthcare were the least likely to get it." This was mainly due to denial for a pre-existing condition.

While he did mention the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, he listed it’s pros and cons. Among its pros were that millions more became insured, there were no denials for pre-existing conditions and no coverage caps. The cons included that the ACA builds on an inefficient fragmented system, the insurance industry stays in control, spending continues its upward spiral and there are increases in those underinsured. It was noted that people are insured, but inadequately, there are high deductibles and copays, barriers to care and illness brings financial ruin. He said the number one reason families go bankrupt is due to health bills.

Dr. Dvorak proposed a single payer system. It would be truly universal coverage where the healthy and sick both pay in. He explained that the most feasible way to get to a single payer system was not as a national program, but through a state level. It would be one....

To see more on this story pick up the November 9, 2017 print edition for The New Prague Times.